Tag: Atletico

Chelsea are set to add some much-needed firepower by reuniting manager Maurizio Sarri with Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, according to widespread reports on Thursday.

Higuain, 31, is halfway through a season-long loan at AC Milan from Juventus, with an option to make the deal permanent.

However, Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement with the Italian sides to bring Higuain on loan with the option to make the deal permanent or extend the loan for another 12 months at the end of the season.

As a result of Higuain’s arrival, Alvaro Morata is set to leave Chelsea to return to Spain at Atletico Madrid on loan.

Higuain scored a record 36 Serie A goals under Sarri at Napoli before moving to Juventus in 2016 for then the third-highest transfer fee of all time in a 90 million euro move ($103 million).

Punch Games

Antoine Griezmann dragged Atletico Madrid level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga as he scored twice and created another in a 3-2 win at Valladolid.

The victory left Diego Simeone’s side second in La Liga but they joined Barca, who travel to Levante on Sunday evening, on 31 points. Sevilla have the chance to move level with the pair when they host mid-table Girona early on Sunday.

Griezmann struck the winner 10 minutes from the end after Valladolid had fought back from a two-goal half-time deficit.

The Frenchman had played a key role in building the early lead. The World Cup winner laid on Nikola Kalinic’s second goal of the season in the 26th minute with a superb through ball, then put his side two up on the stroke of half-time.

After Kiko Olivas handled Griezmann’s long-range shot, and referee Undiano Mallenco pointed to the spot after a video review, the Frenchman slotted home a neat penalty.

The hosts came roaring back in the second half, twice forcing fine saves from Jan Oblak before Fernando Calero scored for the hosts from a 56th-minute corner.

Saul Niguez then inadvertently pushed Enes Unal’s header into his own net nine minutes later, and Valladolid pushed for victory.

However, Griezmann stole the three points in a frantic finale, cooly steering home the winner after a scramble in the box following a corner.

Punch Games

Diego Godin scored a 91st-minute winner as Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 3-2 in La Liga on Saturday.

Godin’s close-range finish was initially ruled out for offside at the Wanda Metropolitano but referee Jose Sanchez overturned the decision after consulting his video assistant referee.

It proved a dramatic finale to a pulsating encounter, which Bilbao twice led thanks to two goals from Inaki Williams. A stunning long-range strike from Thomas Partey and Rodrigo’s header 10 minutes from time, however, pulled Atletico level, before Godin snatched all three points.

Victory means Diego Simeone’s side move to within a point of Barcelona, who play at home to Real Betis on Sunday. Bilbao remains 17th, without a win since the opening day of the season.

That run has, however, included draws against both Barca and Real Madrid, and for much of this contest they were the better side too.

But after beating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, Atletico sustained momentum with a result made all the more impressive by their lengthy list of absentees.

Godin and Diego Costa both returned from injury but 19-year-old Francisco Montero had to play alongside Godin in central defence, with Luis Hernandez, Jose Gimenez and Stefan Savic all out, along with Thomas Lemar and Koke in midfield.

Atletico started brightly enough as Antoine Griezmann picked out Filipe Luis at the back post and then nipped in behind but Bilbao never looked uncomfortable.

They grew into the game. Susaeta fired wide, after Rodrigo carelessly conceded possession, and then instigated the goal, darting free of the sleeping Luis.

– Williams troubles Atletico –

Susaeta squared for Mikel San Jose, whose first-time shot was brilliantly clawed onto the post by Jan Oblak. But the ball rolled agonisingly across the line, where Williams was perfectly placed.

It was the first league goal Atletico had conceded in a first half this season and there were whistles as the players departed at the interval.

Frustration grew, but Bilbao should have doubled their lead shortly before the hour. Instead, Williams shot straight at Oblak from eight yards.

They would pay for it within a matter of minutes, Thomas unleashing a booming effort from range that flew past Iago Herrerin and into the corner.

Level in the 61st minute, Atletico were behind again in the 64th as one pass sent the speedy Williams clear. Godin clambered at the striker’s heels but could not recover. Williams slid in his second.

Atletico pushed again and Bilbao never looked secure sitting back. It was a simple corner this time, delivered by Thomas and glanced inside the far post by the head of Rodrigo.

There were 10 minutes left for either side to find a winner and it was Atleti that snatched it. Saul kept the ball alive at the back post, Griezmann flicked it towards goal and Godin poked over the line.

The celebrations were halted by the linesman’s flag. But only temporarily.

Earlier on Saturday, Valencia followed up their Champions League win over Young Boys in midweek by securing only their second La Liga victory of the season away to Getafe.

The decisive goal came in the 81st minute and from the penalty spot as Daniel Parejo converted after Kevin Gameiro was brought down by Bruno Gonzalez.

Bruno received a second yellow card for the foul and was sent off as Valencia held on for a much-needed 1-0 win.

Saul Niguez and Koke scored in extra time as Atletico Madrid fought back to beat city rivals Real Madrid 4-2 and win the UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn on Wednesday, as Julen Lopetegui got off to a losing start with the European champions.

Real had earlier looked set to win the trophy in their first competitive game since the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Zinedine Zidane when a Sergio Ramos penalty put them 2-1 up in the second half.

That came after Karim Benzema cancelled out Diego Costa’s first-minute opener in the Estonian capital, but Costa hauled Diego Simeone’s side level again late on to force extra time.

Simeone’s men then looked stronger in the extra period as they won this competition, the annual meeting of the Champions League and Europa League winners, for the third time in nine seasons.

“I stayed at Atletico because the project is a good one. I have confidence in this club, in the coach and I saw tonight that I was not mistaken,” said Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann who was linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer.

Atletico defender Lucas Hernandez added: “To win this trophy is something great but to do it against our eternal rival is even better.”

Real had won the trophy under Zidane in each of the last two years, and emerged victorious against their neighbours in the Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016.

But this result comes after a close season in which Atletico have strengthened while Real look to have gone backwards, with no replacement signed for Ronaldo after his move to Juventus.

– Griezmann starts, Modric on bench –

Griezmann started for Atletico at the compact Lillekula Stadium, fresh from helping France to World Cup glory last month.

In contrast, former Spain coach Lopetegui left Luka Modric on the Real bench at kick-off, seeking to ease the Croatian playmaker back after he led his country to the World Cup final.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not feature at all following his recent arrival from Chelsea, while nine of Real’s starting line-up also started May’s Champions League final win over Liverpool in Kiev.

Atletico also had France winger Thomas Lemar making his competitive debut following his 72 million-euro ($84 million) move from Monaco, and they took the lead after just 49 seconds.

With Simeone watching from the stands as he serves a touchline ban, Costa met Diego Godin’s long ball forward with his back to goal and nodded it over Ramos before turning to burst through and rifle a shot home from a tight angle.

It was a superb finish, but Real were level just before the half-hour via a combination of the two men expected to step up following Ronaldo’s departure.

Gareth Bale delivered a cross from the right and Benzema headed past Jan Oblak at the far post.

Lopetegui sent on Modric for Marco Asensio just before the hour mark and Real took the lead shortly after, Ramos scoring a 63rd-minute penalty awarded for a Juanfran handball.

It looked like that would win it, yet Atletico showed great resolve to level the scores again in the 79th minute as Juanfran and substitute Angel Correa combined to set up Costa to stab home.

Into extra time they went, and Atletico went ahead again in the 98th minute, Thomas Partey pressing to win back possession before holding up a cross for Saul to thump a superb left-foot volley past Keylor Navas from 17 yards.

“I have not yet extended (my contract). I’ve seen a lot of things in the press, but now, what’s important is to wait and concentrate on the (UEFA Super Cup) final.”

Europa League winners Atletico take on city rivals and Champions League holders Real Madrid in the Super Cup in Tallinn on Wednesday before the start of the La Liga season this weekend.

Godin has played 350 matches for Atletico since joining from Villarreal eight years ago, winning the Spanish league title in 2014, the Europa League in 2012 and earlier this year, and the 2013 Copa del Rey.

The capital-city club has a policy of “only extending the contracts of players over the age of 30 on an annual basis”, according to Spanish sports daily AS.

Kalinic was sent home from the World Cup reportedly for refusing to come on as a substitute in Croatia’s opening game against Nigeria, though coach Zlatko Dalic said the player had a back injury. Croatia went on to reach the final.

The former Blackburn and Dnipro forward scored six goals in 41 appearances for Milan last term and has netted 15 times in 42 international matches.

Kalinic will provide back-up to French World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, Spain star Diego Costa and Frenchman Kevin Gameiro at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Atletico get their Spanish La Liga season underway with a trip to Valencia on Monday, August 20.

Punch Games

Two Spanish giants bid farewell to their boyhood clubs on Sunday as Andres Iniesta waved goodbye to Barcelona and Fernando Torres went out with a bang at Aletico Madrid.

Torres scored twice on his final appearance for Atletico, even if a Lucas Hernandez red card helped Eibar claim a 2-2 draw on the last day of the La Liga season.

Iniesta’s 22-year association with Barcelona, meanwhile, ended with a victory as the player marked out as the Spaniard’s successor, Philippe Coutinho, proved the difference in a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad.

With a tear in his eye, Iniesta walked off to a standing ovation from the Camp Nou in the second half, having unfastened his captain’s armband and handed it to Lionel Messi.

He hugged the Argentinian and then embraced the rest of his colleagues. The 34-year-old clapped the crowd, blew them a kiss, before exhaling and ducking into the dug-out.

An extravagent post-match ceremony followed, celebratng both Iniesta and the winning of La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Barca’s players returned to the pitch all wearing shirts with Iniesta’s name on their backs.

“It is a difficult day,” Iniesta said in a speech to the crowd. “But it has been a wonderful 22 years. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to defend and represent this club, for me the best in the world. I will keep you in my heart forever.”

Barca’s players then huddled beneath Iniesta and tossed him into the air.

“I feel privileged,” coach Ernesto Valverde said. “Just as they all do to have been a part of it. He is a unique, unrepeatable player. There is none like him.”

After 22 years at the club and 16 in the first team, Iniesta’s 674 appearances for Barcelona is bettered only by Xavi Hernandez, who was also on the pitch before kick-off to join in the tributes.

Real Sociedad welcomed Iniesta with a guard of honour while the crowd formed an impressive mosaic to spell out ‘Infinit Iniesta’ on the two sides of the stadium, with an infinity symbol, doubling up as number eights, at the ends.

A giant flag behind one of the goals read ‘Gracies Per Tant’, ‘thank you for so much’.

Torres’ swansong was less emotional, perhaps because his fairytale ending had already arrived on Wednesday, when he lifted his first Atleti trophy after the Europa League final against Marseille.

But his double against Eibar added some extra sparkle in front of his own supporters, who stayed on after the final whistle to watch the team form another guard of honour as the striker left the pitch.

On his 404th appearance for Atletico, Torres’ goals were his 128th and 129th for the club, coming 17 years after his first, scored against Albacete in the Segunda Division in 2001.

“I thank the whole Atletico family,” Torres said afterwards. “I knew I wanted to play here and it has been an honour and a privilege to wear this shirt more than 400 times. You have made me the happiest person in the world.”

Torres, like Iniesta, has yet to declare his next move but this display — speedy, sharp and clinical — will have caught the eye of any interested parties.

He had walked out before kick-off, with his three children, through a corridor formed by the Eibar players as Atletico’s fans displayed the words, ‘De Nino A Leyenda’, meaning ‘from a kid to a legend’.

Outside the ground, fans had posed for photos next to life-size Torres cut-outs and peered at message boards, detailing the player’s greatest moments.

This, after all, was a boyhood Atletico fan, who first watched his team with his grandfather as a child, and who, when he returned to the club for a second spell in 2015, drew a crowd of more than 40,000 just for his presentation.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone predicted Torres will one day be back again.

“His return was something I’d never seen before and today’s farewell was equal to that,” Simeone said. “I have no doubt he will return to the Atletico, maybe we will meet again at some point. A life in football is very long.”

Fernando Torres scored twice on an emotional final outing for Atletico Madrid on Sunday but was denied a victorious farewell as Eibar snatched a 2-2 draw.

Torres struck in each half much to the delight of his adoring fans at the Wanda Metropolitano but a Lucas Hernandez red card helped Eibar claim a point on the last day of the La Liga season.

Atletico finish the campaign second in the table, Eibar sit 10th.

Enrique Garcia had given the visitors a surprise early lead and Ruben Pena capitalised on the numerical advantage by equalising late on, but this match was always going to be about Torres.

On his 404th appearance for Atletico, his goals were his 128th and 129th for the club, coming 17 years after his first, scored against Albacete in the Segunda Division in June 2001.

Torres has yet to declare his next move but this display — speedy, sharp and clinical — will have caught the eye of many interested parties.

In truth, the 34-year-old’s fairytale ending had already arrived on Wednesday, when he lifted his first Atleti trophy after the triumphant Europa League final against Marseille.

But this double added some extra sparkle in front of his own supporters, who stayed on after the final whistle to watch the team form a guard of honour as the striker left the pitch.

He had walked out the same way, with his three children, through a corridor formed by the Eibar players as Atletico’s fans displayed the words, ‘De Nino A Leyenda’, meaning ‘from a kid to a legend’.

Outside the ground, fans had posed for photos next to Torres life-size cut-outs and peered at message boards, detailing the player’s greatest moments.

This, after all, was a boyhood Atletico fan, who first watched his team with his grandfather as a child, and who, when he returned to the club for a second spell in 2015, drew a crowd of more than 40,000 just for his presentation.

He missed an early chance, and it was a good one too, after nicking the ball away from Eibar’s David Lomban, only to drag the finish wide of the far post.

Eibar threatened to spoil the party when Garcia gave them the lead in the 35th minute. Stefan Savic attempted to clear but connected only with the air and Garcia snuck in ahead of Juanfran to slide home.

Atletico were enjoying the lion’s share of possession, however, and Torres’ moment came two minutes before the interval.

Saul’s clipped ball over the top caught Eibar napping and Angel Correa might have shot, with only the goalkeeper to beat. Instead he squared right for Torres, who celebrated by kissing the badge and applauding the fans.

His second on the hour required more of his own work. Diego Costa, sent on with Antoine Griezmann a minute before, played the through-ball but Torres showed speed to outrun Paulo Oliveira and a cool head to finish past Marko Dmitrovic.

This time he ran into the fans behind the goal, for which he picked up a yellow card. Three minutes later, referee Alfonso Alvarez produced another booking, for Hernandez, who had already been cautioned when he obstructed Ivan Alejo and Atleti were down to 10.

Eibar were level within seven minutes, Pena unleashing a superb strike from the edge of the area that Jan Oblak could only palm into the top corner.

Atleti pushed for a winner late on but the spoils were shared as the tributes to Torres continued after the final whistle.